KNUTSFORD Town Council is pressing pause on the potential sale of The Sessions House.

The future of the Grade II* listed building has been in question since its owners, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, decided to permanently close Knutsford Crown Court in October.

The iconic Toft Road building, which has been home to the court since circa 1815, could now be set to go on the market and carries a price tag of approximately £720,000.

At a meeting of the town council on Monday, town council members agreed to register the historic building as a community asset under the Community Right to Bid, an initiative introduced by The Localism Act 2011.

The Community Right to Bid gives community groups and councils a fairer chance to save assets that are important to them. Should The Sessions House be added to the register and the owners wish to sell the building, the council would be notified.

The council can use the Community Right to Bid to ‘pause’ the sale, giving the community six months to prepare a bid to buy it before the asset can be sold.

Clr Yvonne Bancroft said: “Everyone has a feeling of love towards the Sessions House and I wouldn’t want to see that transformed, disfigured or developed.

“It has the potential to be a community asset – a heritage centre, tourist information or community space could be hosted there. Equally, I am not averse to the building being sold privately so long as appearance is preserved.”

As well as deciding to register the building as a community asset, the council agreed to arrange a public meeting so that residents can make known their views on the future of the building. However, not every member agreed with the council taking The Sessions House under its wing.

Clr Gary Lasham said the council or community could not possibly afford the building, given its value, and that it was a mistake to lead the public to believe that this was a possibility.

“We are never going to be in a position to do anything with it,” he added.

What are your thoughts on the future of the building? Would you like to see a community element retained? Comment below.